Little is known mechanically about the compact pickup, but we can expect it to share a drivetrain and chassis with the Tucson. The decision to build the Santa Cruz was likely bolstered by falling sedan sales as more and more people flock to crossovers, SUVS and pickups, instead of traditional cars. The Honda Ridgeline has showed that there is indeed a market for people that want a vehicle with the utility of a truck but which drives like a car.

No production date or price has been announced. We can expect, however, to see a production version of the Santa Cruz debut sometime next year. Hyundai’s first pickup, which would slot in size-wise under mid-sized trucks such as the Ridgeline, could be a sales winner in a CUV-crazy world.